


Lanius Excubitor

by The_Nicest_Nonbinary



Category: Six - Marlow/Moss
Genre: Anne has a small flash back, Blood, Swords, Victim Blaming, Wing AU, but not for who needs it, feral Kitty, i havent written anything since school ended, impaled prey, just everything that comes with the hunting habits of great grey shrikes, no beta reader we die like men, pretty much all hurt no comfort, so apologies if this is terrible, theres a tiny bit of comfort, they're called butcher birds for a reason, wow this got dark fast, you know what screw it this totally happened i take back what i said earlier
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-29
Updated: 2020-06-30
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:28:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,523
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24976882
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Nicest_Nonbinary/pseuds/The_Nicest_Nonbinary
Summary: Sometimes, in the avian world, a person pushed to the end of their limits can go crazy from the stress. They revert back to their base instincts and start behaving like their bird counterparts. They go feral. Or, Kitty hits her limit and can't take it anymore while Anne has no idea what going on.
Comments: 7
Kudos: 43





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I sat down and wrote this in 2 hours. No I didn't ask someone to read over it before posting it, what do you think I am? Responsible?  
> If you're wondering what kind of wings everyone has, here's a small key.  
> Catalina- Peregrine Falcon  
> Anne- Raven  
> Jane- Barn Owl  
> Anna- Golden Eagle  
> Kitty- Great Grey Shrike  
> Cathy- Blue Jay

Anne hadn’t noticed it at first. All she’d seen was how tired Kitty had seemed lately. Anne had at first brushed it off as the week dragging on. But as Kitty’s bad mood stayed , Anne wondered if it was Kitty’s song giving her flashbacks or if someone had catcalled her again. However when Anne tried to ask Kit what was wrong, Kit had just told her she’d wanted to be left alone. Any queen who tried to help had been met with the same response. Even Anna, who could normally get through to the youngest queen, was left standing shocked in front of Kitty’s slammed shut door. Eventually the queens stopped trying to get Kitty to come out of her room. They’d only see the girl when she’d dash out to get something to eat, but eventually she stopped doing that too. The trays of food Jane would leave outside her room were left untouched. Even Cathy who was up to ungodly hours of the morning would mention she never saw Kitty at all. In hind sight, Anne would curse herself for not trying harder, for not breaking down the goddamn door and demanding to see her cousin. But she didn’t. She just watched and waited. That was her biggest regret.

Things came to their most heated point late one night. Cathy and Anne were in Cathy’s room, Anne carefully running her fingers through the writer’s wings, softly preening them when the pair had heard the commotion. Loud shouting was coming from the living room and Anne and Cathy stared at the door, as if doing so would make the voices easier to understand. Eventually the voices rose to a point where the pair could easily hear what was being said. “Why do you care if I stay out late at night? You haven’t cared before!” Kitty’s voice rose to a fever pitch as she got angrier. Lina’s exasperated voice carried up the stairs to the duo listening intently. “Well if you made it a bit easier, and didn’t shut us out, maybe we would help!” Catalina shouted, exasperation creeping into her voice. “Lina calm down, we’re not here to talk about that. We’re here to talk about what we saw on her balcony.” Jane cut in. Anne looked at Cathy confused, the mouthed, “Whats on her balcony?” Cathy shrugged, then mouthed back, “Wanna go check?” Anne nodded, then followed Cathy over to the window as the queens downstairs continued arguing. Cathy tugged it open and lowered herself out of it. Anne quickly followed suit and the pair flew out into the night.

Looping in lazy circles, the two flew up to the roof, then landed. Anne slipped on the tiles, still slick from that night’s downpour, but Cathy grabbed her forearm and hauled her up to a more stable position. “Thanks” Anne panted, then she peeked over the edge of the roof to Kitty’s balcony. She had to stifle a cry of shock as she saw it. As Cathy joined her, she made a noise of disgust. “What happened?” Anne wasn’t sure what had happened, but the balcony was covered in matted fur, discarded bones and thick blood. Some various small animals had been impaled on the spikes on the edge of the balcony. She started to feel dizzy, images of swords, blood, and jeering crowds starting to fill her mind. “Hey, Anne, stay with me here.” Cathy gently shook the girls shoulders, bringing her back to the modern day. Anne blinked, then leaned forward and rested her head against Cathy’s collarbone. “Thanks Cath.” She whispered. Cathy smiled softly. "Lets get out of the rain here shall we?” Anne nodded, and the two took off again, slipping back in through the window. Just as Anne tumbled through, she heard Kitty yell, “WHY DOES IT MATTER WHEN I GO HUNTING? ANNE EATS LITERAL GARBAGE!” Cathy snorted as Anne stammered and tried to justify it. “I-It was one time! And they were perfectly good, still packaged leftovers.” she pouted. Cathy laughed lightly, then sighed. The two settled back onto the bed, trying to tune out the rest of the argument and forget what they’d just seen. A few minutes later, someone knocked, then Anna slowly opened the door. “Can I come in?” she asked. “Sure, but um,” Cathy started, “Why aren’t you downstairs with Kit?” Anna’s jaw tightened. “Kätzchen said she...doesn’t want to see me right now. Or anymore for that matter.” she laughed ruefully. Anne and Cathy looked at each other, then, “Do you wanna stay here with us tonight? One big sleep over?” Anne asked. Anna smiled softly. “Yea.. I’d like that.” the trio stayed huddled in the room that night, preening each others wings and trying desperately to block out the sounds of shouting from downstairs.

A week after the argument, Katherine Howard disappeared completely.

Anne had spent hours searching, combing the city and woods for her baby cousin. An alternate had taken Kitty’s spot in the show, and though they were extremely talented, it just wasn’t the same as having her cousin around. Anna and Jane had both gotten very quiet since Kitty’s disappearance, and the other Catherines had both been helping search for Kitty day in and day out. Jane usually went out at night to look, already being mostly nocturnal. Anna almost quit the show to search full time, and she only stayed with the pleading of the other queens. Today, Anne had the rest of the day off, and was spending it in the woods by their house. Kitty had loved to come here and Anne secretly hoped she’d find her cousin somewhere in the dense trees. She’d been walking for hours, probably in circles, when she heard a small dripping noise coming from directly above her. Pausing, she looked up and nearly screamed. Perched up in a branch overhead, Kitty stared down at her with wide, soulless eyes. Around her, sharpened sticks impaled various creatures, and Anne swore up and down she saw a skull on one of the branches. Blood trickled down off the wood, creating the soft dripping Anne had heard. “K-Kitty?” Kit stared down at her cousin, then let loose a shrieking cry, all too reminiscent of her bird counterpart. The girl then launched herself into the air and flew upwards, spiraling away from her cousin. Anne fell to her knees. Kitty was gone. Maybe not completely gone physically, but her mind had disappeared. Anne wasn’t ashamed to say she cried. She sobbed, surrounded by the evidence of her cousin’s shattered mind. She cried for all the chances she never had with her cousin in the modern day. She cried for losing yet another person she cared about. She cried because she hadn’t seen it coming. She cried because she hadn’t tried to stop it. She clutched the single pink tipped grey feather that had fallen at her feet, and ran out of the forest.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okay, we haven't gotten to the happily ever after just yet, but have some much needed fluff between Anna and Jane. Anna has just been wearing herself out searching for her missing friend, and Jane reminds her to take care of herself too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By popular demand, I'm going to this story a happy ending. Because Kitty deserves nice things. Also the pov switches to Anna for this chapter if you were confused.

Ever since Anne had stumbled back into the queen’s house crying and clutching the single dyed shrike feather, Anna had entirely devoted herself to combing the woods to find her friend. She’d seen Anne’s haunted, empty look when she’d come back in from the woods. However, Anne had refused to talk about what she’d seen. Only saying, “She’s gone. She’s feral. I don’t know if we’re ever getting her back.” The other queens had looked terrified at the news, but it had only strengthened Anna’s resolve to go and find Kit. She’d lost her once before, she couldn’t lose her again.

In her travels into the woods behind their house, Anna had only caught glimpses of pink tipped feathers, or prey left behind still impaled on sharpened branches. She had flown over the tall treetops, hoping for a sign of Kitty. To her chagrin, she hadn’t spotted the fifth queen at all. She’d been out there for hours, (four hours maybe, or was it five?), when she finally decided to head home. She landed on the porch with a heavy thump and unlocked the door. As she walked inside, the house was dark. It made sense, considering she was coming home so late. Anna had skipped the show again that day, opting instead to devote herself to combing the woods. Now, as she dragged her tired body into the living room, she wondered if it was a mistake. Maybe Anne was right and they wouldn’t be seeing her again. The second queen certainly acted like all hope was lost, choosing to spend her days in her room, blasting music so loud Anna swore it would shake the house down.  
As Anna stumbled through the dimly lit house, she peeled off her shoes, stripped off her hoodie, and went to go straight to bed. But as she was trying to sneak upstairs, she tripped on something and almost fell when a hand shot out and grabbed her. Startled, she immediately twisted around to see who’d caught her and nearly shrieked as a pair of near solid black eyes stared back at her. Then, “Oh, Jane. It’s just you.” Anna sighed in relief. Unlike the other queens, Jane was nocturnal from being part owl. Because of this, her pupils naturally dilated to serious extremes, making it look as if her entire eye was black, with only the thinnest rim of silver. It was terrifying to look at, especially if you weren't expecting it.

Jane smiled at Anna and pulled her back up to her feet. “Are you alright? That was quite the fall you almost had.”

Anna smiled tiredly. “I’m fine. Just tired.”

Jane frowned, then asked, “Anna, when did you last take a break to rest?” The german queen opened her mouth, shut it, opened it again, then sighed. That was all the answer Jane needed. “Alright. First we’re getting you something to eat, because I know you skipped dinner, and then you are going to bed.” Anna didn’t have the energy to protest as Jane steered her into the kitchen and sat her down at the dining table. She watched through tired eyes as Jane rummaged through the fridge, pulled out a Tupperware container with the leftovers from that night’s dinner, and set about reheating them. Sometimes Anna wondered how Jane managed it. She’d been forced into a diurnal schedule back at court, then forced into it again here since the show ran in the daytime. If Anna had to be awake all night running around while her body questioned why she wasn’t sleeping, she’d probably go insane. “Anna? What are you thinking about?” Jane startled her out of her thoughts and Anna blinked as the third queen came and sat down across from her. She shrugged, and Jane didn’t press any further, simply content to stand once again and go back to check on the food. Anna watched her do this, and thanked her quietly as Jane soon brought the dinner Anna should’ve eaten 3 hours ago to her. She wasted no time inhaling the food, finally allowing her body the nutrients it craved.  
As Anna slowed down, almost finished, she looked back up at Jane, who’d once again settled into the chair across from her and was simply sitting with her eyes lightly closed. Anna fidgeted for a second, then asked, “How do you do it?”

Jane’s eyes opened, and she stared directly at Anna. “Do what?” she asked.

Anna made a few non committal noises, waving her fork around in the air, then replied, “Hold it all together.”

Jane went, “Ah.” and closed her eyes once again. For the longest time, (maybe it was hours, maybe it was only a few seconds), Jane didn’t reply. Then she opened her eyes again and Anna noted that they were a bit too shiny in the low light. “I have to keep it together. If I stop and think, I won’t be able to stop thinking.” She sighed, lacing her fingers together in front of her mouth, “I won’t stop thinking about how I should’ve done something. I should’ve fought harder to help her.” Jane then looked at Anna, and Anna had the uncomfortable feeling that those dark eyes could see straight into her soul. “I might start to think I’d failed her. If I start thinking, those thoughts might consume me. And I don’t think we could afford to lose another queen right now.” Anna looked down at her plate. She often thought about the very things Jane had talked about. She wondered if the thoughts were consuming her. They probably were. All she’d thought about since Kitty had gone was how she’d failed her in their past life, and now she’d failed her again. “Hey.” Jane called softly. Anna looked up. “If you're done eating, do you want to go to bed?” Anna nodded, exhaustion taking over her body. She stood and walked into the kitchen, left her plate by the sink to wash in the morning, and followed Jane up the stairs. She made a move to go into her own room, when Jane turned, grabbed her shoulders, and directed them into her own room.

Jane’s room had an easy ambiance to it. The light fixture on the ceiling had been long since stripped of light bulbs, and the curtains were drawn and heavy. But strings and strings of fairy lights danced across the ceiling, bathing the room in a soft glow. Anna allowed herself to be dragged over to the bed, and let Jane pull her down next to her. She stiffened slightly as Jane opened up her wings, then practically melted into the second queen’s arms as she wrapped both her wings and embrace around Anna. “Shh. Just sleep.” Jane cooed into Anna’s ruffled hair. Anna wanted to mention how she was still probably dirty and sweaty from her long flight, and wouldn’t she get Jane’s nice sheets dirty? But in the moment, she was too tired to bring herself to care. Anna carefully ran her fingers through the undersides of Jane’s wings, careful not to get too close to touching the soft, downy feathers near the base. She smiled tiredly at the feeling the feathers left on her skin. Jane hummed quietly and patted Anna’s hair, smoothing it down and making her even sleepier than she already was. “Anna, sweetheart?”

“Mhm?” Anna replied, drowsy,

“How are you holding up? Kitty’s disappearance has hit you hard.”

Anna let out a barking laugh. “I think Anne’s the one who was hit hardest. She never leaves her room anymore, only for the show.”

Jane hummed, “But I’m not asking how Anne’s holding up. I’m asking how you’re holding up.”

Anna blinked, then replied, “I-I don’t know.” she sighed. “I’m trying to hold it all together, but I’m scared.” Anna shuddered in Jane’s arms. It felt good to admit that, as much as it also scared her. “I’m scared that Anne’s right. What if we’ve lost her forever? What if I-” She bit her lip. “What if I’ve lost her forever?”

Jane sighed and readjusted their position. She let her wings tuck over Anna like two long, fluffy blankets. “I don’t know Anna, I don’t think we’ve lost her forever. She’s still out there in the woods, just waiting to be brought home. Maybe she just needs someone to remind her where home is. Just don’t forget, Kitty can’t be saved if her savior is passed somewhere due to lack of sleep and food.”

Anna sniffled, then buried her face into the crook of Jane’s elbow. “I hope you’re right and Anne isn’t.” She whispered.

“Well I was right when I told her it wasn’t a good idea to go up to the roof and see if she could get a rolling start by rolling on her heelies down the roof then trying to fly off it.” Anna snorted, remembering that day. It had ended with Anne falling on top of an unsuspecting Catalina and the two bickering for hours. It felt good to smile again. A real genuine smile. Jane continued humming and stroking Anna’s hair. Anna wasn’t quite sure when it happened, but her eyes started closing more and more, till she fell asleep in Jane’s arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew, for my first fanfic, this got a lot more attention than I thought it would. Thank you everyone who came by and read this! Don't worry Anna will go and rescue Kitty soon, I just wanted to split this chapter into two parts so it didn't drag on.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kitty just wants to be left alone. Unfortunately, that's just simply not meant to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright we are almost done! Switching to Kit's pov now  
> Quick over view of the wings of the new characters  
> Manox- Tiger Shrike  
> Dereham- Black Vulture  
> Henry- Golden Eagle  
> Culpepper- Elf Owl

Someone had been in her territory. A strange raven who had stumbled into her territory had looked up at her, terror obvious in her eyes. Katherine had relished in it. Rejoiced in the feeling of power. No one could touch her now. Not when she was so, so wild. The voices of the strange men would whisper to her no more. She was thrilled at the idea that she was untouchable now. No one could harm her. The voices of the mysterious men who had tormented her for so long were quiet now. But…. other voices had risen to replace them. Stranger ones. Maybe it was worse. Maybe she’d made a mistake. She’d made a mistake. She had to get back home. Home. Her home was here now. She was at home in the forest. She belonged here with the rest of the wild animals. The voices grew louder, pounding at her ears. She clapped her hands over her ears and tried to block them out. Where was that feeling of power now?

‘Hunt, tear, break’ The voices in Kitty’s head screamed, all begging to be heard at once. ‘Rip, destroy, feed’ They cried for her attention. She couldn’t take it. No more. She had to get them to stop. Stop. STOP. She let out a loud shriek, and clawed at her temples. Kitty’s breathing grew ragged, and she let out a panicked whine. A voice whispered in her ear, a voice as smooth and sweet at honey. “Hello Katherine.” She whirled around on her branch and her eyes widened. Manox was perched next to her. Familiar russet coloured wings slightly opened like they always had been. Kitty made a strangled noise in the back of her throat. Manox laughed, “Come Katherine. I know you have a better voice than that. Remember all the times when we’d sing together?” She closed her eyes, remembering. Remembering all the times when she’d sing for him, before he… She closed her eyes, the sweet fog of simplicity clouding her mind again. Manox tutted and she turned and glared at him. She hissed, low in her throat and he simply smiled. “Now now child, we shrikes have to stick together hmm?” If Kitty had been in her right mind, she would have yelled at him. Screamed that she was exactly that. A child. But she wasn’t in her right mind. So instead she cried out and lunged towards him. Dark grey wings with the scarred edges flared out behind her as she reached out for his neck with grasping hands. She felt the cold flesh beneath her palms and she wrenched his neck to the right, hard. She felt the satisfying snap on bone beneath her fingers. Manox disappeared into mist.

Katherine watched, only half interested as a barn owl flew over head, shrieking and crying for some unknown chick. The barn owl had strange, nicked feathers and she flew with a fervent purpose. Kitty looked away, she wasn’t anyone’s chick, not anymore. She was fixing her latest kill to the sharpened branch she’d just carved for that reason. She tore into the animal’s flesh and breathed in the sharp scent of blood. She lifted a chunk to her mouth, hunger taking over, when a voice interrupted her meal. “I told you girl. You weren’t allowed to eat like that. Be civilized. Cook your food darling.” Kitty snarled, and opened up her wings threateningly. Dereham smirked and took her face in his hand, cupping her chin and forcing her to look up at him. Kit snarled and tried to jerk her face away, but he held on tight. Dereham laughed, his voice a low hiss. “I did my best you know. I really tried. I tried to teach you about how the world truly was. You have to act human. And you even failed at that.” He grinned. She watched, jet black eyes widening in horror as he opened up his huge dark wings and draped one over shoulders. She tensed, and then screamed. Dereham reached over and wrapped his arms around her slight frame. Kitty wailed and tried to wrest her body out of his strangling grasp. He just held tighter. She flapped her wings, panic taking over, pure animal instinct ruling her actions. She yanked one arm out from his grasp and slammed it into the side of his head. Once again the snap of bone echoed through the woods. He fell off the branch, slowly crumbling into dust. Kitty turned back to her prey, only to find it gone. She screamed.

Kitty had caught a glimpse of a golden eagle flying high above her, calling out for someone. She tilted her head to the side, wondering who she was calling for. She watched the strange eagle, staying out of sight. “She’d gotten uglier since I last saw her. I’m the only eagle who deserves respect around here. Not her.” For some reason, the words of this other eagle standing on the branch next to her made her unreasonably angry. She turned to him, prepared to slash, rip, and tear. When he spoke again, it sent shivers down her spine. “Ah, Katherine. My sweet. You don’t seriously think that she’s worth anything do you?” Kitty clenched her eyes shut as if that would make the voice go away. The eagle next to her was ancient compared to her. Old and crumbling. Feathers grey and worn with age. He smiled at her, a smile that had more ill-intent than teeth. Henry reached out and took her hand, intertwining their fingers. She hissed and tried to jerk her hand back, but he held fast. Desperately she looked towards the quickly darkening sky and searched for the other eagle. The one who called for someone. She wondered if she was the one the eagle searched for. No. It wasn’t possible. She wasn’t anyone’s chick. Not anymore. She tried once again to tear her hand away from Henry’s grasp, leaning all her weight away from him, and this time he let her go. Startled at the sudden release, she stumbled back, and fell off the branch she had been perched on. Kitty barely caught herself from hitting the ground and flew back up, shrieking at this stranger. “Oh poor, poor Katherine. Can’t keep her balance.” He sneered at her. Enraged, she launched herself at him, grabbing and tearing at his wings and sending him careening off the thin branch. The two crashed towards the ground and Henry growled at her, grabbing her arms. They hit the ground and Henry disappeared. She picked herself up off the ground and screamed her victory to the sky. But this time, no eagle flew overhead to witness it.

A blue jay entered her territory next. She flitted through the trees, crying for the lost chick the other birds had come for. Her vibrant blue wings the colour of the sky noticeable against the heavy trees. Katherine turned away. No one cared for her. Not anymore. “Now that’s not quite true is it? I cared for you, my sweet little fool.” Katherine was so very, very tired. She turned her head to Thomas, simply keening quietly in reply. “Ah, what did I expect? An answer? You were never all that bright my little slut. No words for me, only begging me to go f-” Katherine shrieked. Lashing out at the figure. She’d had enough of listening to them. The voices got her nowhere. But Thomas wasn’t going to be sent away so easily. He laughed and grabbed her by the waist. Tangling his hands into her tail feathers, he pulled her close. He kept laughing, a noise that grated on Kitty’s ears. As he pulled her closer, she wrenched her hands around and grabbed Thomas’s chest. He kept laughing as she forced him backwards. She shoved him and he fell into one of her spikes. The wood sprouted from his chest and he kept laughing. His cackles echoed through the trees even as he disappeared. Kitty collapsed on the branch and waited for the blue jay to come back. She never did.

Kitty wondered who would come and visit her today. No one was in the woods and she missed the strange birds in her territory. She wondered why she missed them. Someone appears on the branch next to her. This time, she’s prepared. She leapt at them, teeth bared, jet black eyes wide and rolling, and her hands out, prepared to tear open this latest nightmare. It’s not a man this time, but a woman. An unfamiliar falcon, with dark grey wings, dappled in white like stars. She blinked in confusion, and cried out as Katherine barreled into her head on. Strange garbled words are pouring from the falcon’s lips. Once again Katherine feels strong arms wrap around her, holding her arms to her sides. She tried to wrestle control of her limbs back, to smash, grab, break, and tear. The woman just whispered quiet, meaningless words to her, clinging tighter to her slight frame. Katherine was taken to a strange building, stuffed inside, and subjected to the cries and screams of the other birds. She sees them all there. The frightened raven, the barn owl who seeks her lost chick, the eagle whose wings are ever so beautiful, more so than his will ever be. The blue jay who cries out for the loss of the others, and the falcon, who feels so deeply and says so little.

She didn't want to be here. She wanted to be back in the forest. Kitty started to flap her wings wildly, shrieking and crying. She was once again pushed and shoved. This time into a small room, covered in pink. Katherine cried and beat at the door, wailing to be let out. She'd just given up hope of seeing the outside again, when the door cracks open. She dashed towards her freedom, when she’s stopped by the eagle. She screamed and beat at the eagles chest. For the first time she recognizes what the strange birds are saying. “Kätzchen...I know you’re still in there, I know you’re afraid, but you have nothing to fear...I’m not going anywhere.” Kitty screamed and shrieked, digging her talons into the eagle’s arms, slashing long red gashes open. “I’m here schatzi” Kitty’s wings were still flapping rapidly, but not as aggressively as before. Anna. she recognizes the voice. Her eyes start to clear, going from fully black, to only mostly black. Her wings drooped slightly and stopped flapping so wildly. “I’m here.” Anna whispers. Kitty’s eyes return to normal and fill with tears. She whimpered, then buried her face in Anna’s chest. She sobbed, crying and wailing and hiccuping into Anna’s soft embrace. It’s nothing like Dereham’s strangling hold, or Thomas’s choking grasp. Anna whispered sweet nothings into her hair. “I’m so, so glad you're back with us.” Anna murmured. Katherine smiled, tears still streaming down her face. “Me too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone who stuck around and read my fic! It means a lot to me that you did. If anyone has any ideas on what else they'd like to see in this au, I'd be happy to write it!

**Author's Note:**

> This is based off a piece of art one of my friends on tumblr did that I thought was so amazing, I dusted off my old writing notebook and tried my hand at writing something again. They're @Spooner7308 on tumblr, please go check them out they're a fantastic artist.  
> I've also never written fanfiction before so, please be kind?


End file.
